Separability, entanglement and full families of commuting normal matrices

Abstract

We reduce the question whether a given quantum mixed state is separable or entangled to the problem of existence of a certain full family of commuting normal matrices whose matrix elements are partially determined by components of the pure states constituting a decomposition of the considered mixture. The method reproduces many known entanglement and/or separability criteria, and provides yet another geometrical characterization of mixed separable states.

14 pages, some typos corrected, a reference added, in print in Phys. Rev. A